Effective Development of Flexible Systems in Multidisciplinary Optimization

As the complexity of multidisciplinary system design has substantially increased, so too
has the need for incorporating tradeoffs into the design process. By incorporating such
tradeoffs, the optimal system performance of each objective is sacrificed to increase the
overall range of the system’s functionality. Flexible systems have been defined as systems
designed to maintain a high level of performance through real time change in their
configuration when operating conditions or requirements change in a predictable or
unpredictable way. When effectively applied, flexible systems have the ability to achieve the
optimal performance for all system objectives, while also meeting the different constraints
faced by each discipline. This method of designing effective flexible systems focuses on
determining the manner in which the design variables of a system change, as well as
investigating the stability of a flexible system through the application of a state-feedback
controller. This method is then applied to a three discipline – structural, aerodynamics, and
handling - study involving the design of a Formula One racecar traversing a pre-defined
racetrack